Testing mobile applications is often a slow, disjointed process. And because of the time it takes for mobile app updates to be approved by distribution platforms, quality assurance from the start is critical to the success of mobile apps. Unfortunately, many teams use the same QA testing workflows for mobile applications as they use for desktop applications. Here's how crowdsourced testing can update lagging testing practices and make mobile QA more efficient.

The Bottleneck: Workflows Designed for Web Apps

50% of QA teams still test mobile applications manually, using actual devices in hand to for test execution. This is in part because common mobile features including touch and multi-touch interactions, sound and vibration are best tested on real devices rather than emulators. However, switching between mobile devices for manual testing takes your team out of their normal workflow and can lead to significant delays.

The Search for More Effective Mobile Testing Options

Leveraging mobile testing tools that integrate smoothly into your team’s existing workflow can help alleviate the bottleneck of testing across multiple devices. Many organizations are also opting to move away from using physical devices in-hand to do the majority of their QA testing. Many testing tools offer device emulators to streamline testing processes.

Rainforest gives mobile testers access to real devices via Amazon Device Farm, allowing teams to test their applications on a real device without leaving their workflow. Rainforest also allows teams to initiate tests from their CI tool, and import test results directly into bug tracking tools and other development workflow tools.

Redesign Your Mobile QA Workflow with Rainforest

This post was adapted from our ebook, The Challenges of Mobile QA. Every QA strategy should be unique — and effective mobile testing workflows can be complex to design.